Security is always a concern whenever a building or facility is easily accessible to the general public. In particular, businesses that receive many visitors each day require a system for constant monitoring and data collection. Strict observation is most often done to prevent vandalism and theft by intruders and to keep track of all visitors and their access points.
An effective visitor management system can help you keep your business safe while also ensuring high productivity. It enables you to monitor employee activity and maintain records of the data.
With a growing number of people visiting companies daily, it becomes harder to manage them through manual means alone. However, with an on-premise solution, you can improve efficiency and control costs while securing worker safety.
This article will give you an overview of a visitor management system, how digital solutions differ from analog systems, and why they are so important today. We will also look at an ideal solution and the benefits of such an approach.
What Is A Visitor Management System?
A visitor management system (VMS) is a method of tracking visitors entering and exiting a company’s premises. This includes various features such as time and attendance tracking, visitor registration, and guest check-in and check-out.
Most importantly, VMS provides real-time visibility into the flow of visitors throughout the entire process. This ensures that no one slips through the cracks. You can use the collected information to make informed decisions about the site’s staffing levels, maintenance needs, and overall operations.
The main goal of a VMS is to allow managers and employees the ability to identify potential threats and create a detailed record of where, when, and why people have been on the premises.
Digital Vs. Analog Visitor Management Systems
In simpler times, managing a business requires physical presence. A typical manager would have a clipboard and pen ready for whenever someone needed to be signed in and out. And while that method still works for some industries, there are better ways to do things digitally now.
Today, most companies rely heavily on electronic devices that store and share vast amounts of data. These days, it makes sense to move away from analog systems and embrace digital technology.
The shift allows you to implement a robust, reliable solution that keeps information organized and secure. Let’s take a closer look at why you should consider implementing a digital solution for visitor management instead of an analog one.
Safe Working Environment
There are many possible threats associated with having large numbers of unsupervised visitors. The primary way of keeping workers safe is to ensure that they have a visual reminder of who a visitor is, like a badge or pass. This helps avoid any confusion over whether or not someone is authorized and able to enter a business.
While a traditional paper-based system cannot oversee the full scope of security, a digital one does. Using ID badges, visitors can be clearly identified as either guests or employees. They can also be given access to certain areas depending on their level of authorization.
Additionally, a digital system can be used for easy contact tracing during events like natural disasters or other incidents. It can also be used to track down missing people quickly after a breach occurs.
Improved On-Premise Security
When employees and guests enter your place of business, their movements while they are there should be recorded. There are many reasons why an intruder may want to gain unauthorized access to a facility. Some examples include stealing property, accessing data, or causing damage.
Analog systems were never designed to deal with security breaches. They don’t provide any kind of protection against intruders.
On the other hand, a digital solution like a VMS can be integrated with access control systems. This allows you to monitor movement throughout the building and quickly alert you if there is anyone trying to get into a secure area.
Faster Access Control
If your company relies on traditional paper-based visitor management systems, there could be delays associated with signing people in and out. It’s not only tedious, but very inefficient as well.
The next thing you know, you will have a traffic jam at the front doors because guests need to fill out paperwork and regular workers are trying to get through. With a digital solution, you can easily set up automated processes that allow instant checks without human intervention.
This means fewer errors, faster entry/exit procedures, and a safer environment for everyone involved.
Enhanced Information Security
Having a secure way to manage visitors’ information is critical. The analog way of managing information was never designed to keep any records secure. Publicly accessible logbook entries can compromise your business. The unsecured visitor information may cause some of your visitors to feel uncomfortable. Worst case? You may be liable for any privacy leaks or violations.
Cloud-based visitor management makes sure that every record stays private. No one else will ever see it as long as it is stored on a secured server.
By combining these features, you will have a solution that effectively manages your visitors while providing maximum safety for them and the rest of your staff.
Efficient Monitoring & Analytics
Visitor management applications can reduce the need for front desk agents. Automated systems help minimize the time spent dealing with incoming requests by allowing you to send new arrivals straight to the appropriate area.
The convenience of accessing all visitor records without having to sort through tons of paper logs can reduce both administrative work and the chance of error.
Furthermore, pulling actionable insights from paper-based visitor management systems is difficult. With technology solutions, you get a rich set of analytics to make more informed decisions about traffic flow within your facility.
Better & More Modern Guest Experience
As more companies begin moving towards a digital model, they are looking for ways to create a seamless visitor experience for their customers. A visitor management system gives off a first impression of professionalism when dealing with visitors.
In order to streamline the visitor registration process, employees should be able to pre-register guests easily so that they are aware of what to expect. This can help them feel more comfortable about entering the premises.
Scalability & Flexibility
Technology solutions don’t just provide convenience; they also allow flexibility. If you plan on expanding into more areas or opening additional locations, you won’t have to worry about making any major changes.
The most popular systems today are scalable. They can adapt to fit whatever needs you might have in the future. They can be integrated into your existing access control system, which eliminates the need for any hardware upgrades or system overhauls.
If you are ready to make a move to digital visitor management solution, we would love to share our expertise with you. Contact us today to learn more about how Elliott Data Systems can help your business improve its operations.
Why Do Companies Need Better Visitor Management Solutions?
Traditional paper-based visitor management systems are not equipped with any automated tracking and recording systems, leading to cumbersome processes and manual input errors.
Paper records must be kept, scanned, archived, stored, maintained, and managed by the staff on duty. With a growing number of people visiting these properties, they face challenges in maintaining accurate records.
Furthermore, the process is time-consuming and prone to error. A typical scenario involves multiple workers spending hours entering visitor information manually. There is no way to ensure that every person is entering data accurately or consistently.
When things go wrong at one location, there is not a method to pinpoint the issues unless someone takes the initiative to perform an investigation. As a result, businesses may find themselves spending significant amounts of money fixing problems after the fact.
How Will Technology Help You Achieve Your Goals?
Elliott Data Systems offers sophisticated visitor management software that allows you to register and track visitors as they enter your property. It helps you avoid bottlenecks and increase employee productivity by automating manual tasks.
Your team can spend less time on mundane activities like guest entry, thus having more time to focus on other aspects of your business. You can instantly print visitor badges as soon they arrive, eliminating the hassle of waiting for employees to issue them later.
You can even conduct automatic background checks on prospective visitors before they enter, saving valuable time while protecting your team members from being exposed to dangerous individuals. You can also identify repeat offenders to prevent crimes.
By integrating visitor management systems into your current security system, you will eliminate the need for separate devices. The system can pre-register visitors then automatically record their data when they pass through an access point with their badge.
Our reliable workplace and facility management solutions can optimize your security and operational costs while protecting the privacy of your customers.
Who Can Benefit From A Visitor Management System?
Any business that has a physical property where visitors are expected can benefit from this type of solution. A variety of industries rely on visitor management solutions to keep their facilities secure and productive. Some include, but are not limited to:
- Education Facilities – Schools, colleges, universities, etc. can use a visitor management system to easily enroll parents, volunteers, guest faculty, prospective students, and other visitors inside campus grounds. With a VMS, recording and tracking attendance, movements, timestamps, purpose, and other details become much easier.
- Healthcare Institutions – Hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, etc. can use the system to record patient flow, registration, check-in, and sign waivers. They can also track the duration of each visit to help streamline processes.
- Corporate Offices/Workplaces – Businesses have realized the importance of managing customer visits. Guests coming to corporate offices and workplaces can be categorized based on their purpose, which helps managers prioritize work and allocate resources accordingly.
- Hospitality Industry – Hotels, restaurants, inns, resorts, etc. can use VMS to process guests quickly, maintain accurate records, and provide top-notch service to customers. It is also an additional layer of security that can help keep guests and staff members safe.
- Government Organizations – Government entities such as police departments, judicial branches, military bases, correctional facilities, courthouses, etc. can implement the system to manage the flow of people, track occupants, and ensure the safety of their personnel and assets.
- Financial Professionals – Banks, insurance companies, investment firms, accounting firms, stock brokers, etc. can benefit greatly from visitor management solutions. A VMS can ensure compliance and that regulatory requirements are met, keeping internal processes efficient.
- Recreational Centers – Theme parks, zoos, museums, amusement centers, etc. can utilize visitor management software to efficiently manage their operations and monitor occupancy, providing a higher level of customer satisfaction.
Regardless of how big or small the facility is, there is no denying the benefits of having an efficient visitor management system in place. Here at Elliott Data Systems, we understand the unique needs of every business and develop custom solutions tailored to fit specific requirements.
Our goal is to help you protect your assets, streamline operational procedures, and improve customer experience. If you want to learn more about what Elliott Data Systems offers, speak with us today!
Taking The First Steps
It is important to remember that a successful visitor management system implementation requires planning and forethought. You will need to consider several factors before deciding if it is time to invest in any technology solution.
Below are some of the top capabilities that should be considered when evaluating the right choice for your organization.
- Pre-registration feature for a faster visitor check-in process.
- Badge printing capability.
- Customizable visitor badges.
- Digital document signing.
- Ability to integrate with your existing systems.
- All administration functions can be accessed via the web.
- Strong data storage and security.
- Detailed reporting with insights.
Choosing a VMS doesn’t have to be difficult. At Elliott Data Systems, our complete visitor management system, BadgePass Visitor Manager, will enhance your physical security control and optimize visitor access throughout your building.
Call us today at 1-888-345-8511 to discuss more information on how we can help your business succeed.
Elliott’s Visitor Management Solution For Today’s Business
Today’s businesses require effective ways to manage visitors to prevent theft, fraud, and other criminal activity. Visitors may not always act in accordance with the rules established by a company, so a reliable visitor management system is essential.
A comprehensive system enables organizations to identify potential threats early, reduce losses, enforce policies, and increase efficiency for everyone involved.
With Elliott’s BadgePass Visitor Manager, you can easily track and control all aspects of your facility, including:
- Populate visitor’s data from driver’s license.
- Print visitor badges in a simple three-step process (6-second check-in).
- Create customized badges with business logos and graphics.
- Automate sex offender scanning.
- Document signature pad (NDA, Health Screening, etc.).
- Contact tracing (employees and visitors).
- Grant temporary access to visitors.
- Real-time onsite list.
- Automatic check-out.
- Enterprise or a standalone solution.
- Easy web-based reporting and many more.
With over 50 years of experience in providing and implementing visitor management solutions and other great services, Elliott Data Systems has been helping companies like yours take charge of their visitor operations and maximize employee productivity. From quick turnarounds to complex implementations, we understand the importance of ensuring your visitor management system meets your needs.
Contact us today or call us at 1-888-345-8511 to learn how we can put a proven, secure, and cost-effective physical security solution into place for you.
